Automatic check and release mechanism for hoisting apparatus.



PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

0. DE MOOOMBLE. I AUTOMATIC CHECK AND RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HOISTINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1902 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

NO MODEL.

farlaifiefi/wwziiq Inventor,

Aorne gs.

Winesses A No. 770,087.

PATBNTED SEPT. 13, 1904 0. DE MOGOMBLE.

AUTOMATIC CHECK AND RELEASE MECHANISM FOR'HOISTING APPARATUS.

" APPLICATION PILED SEPT. 11, 1902.

3-SEBETSBHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

6 m 1 m A 0m M w; w e W m No. 770,087. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904. C. DEMOCOMBLE.

AUTOMATIC GHEGK AND RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11 1902. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

manlesfie flfiawwiie, nven r Witnesses:

QTSUM By W Attorneys Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

- CHARLES DE MOGOMBLE, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

AUTOMATIC CHECK AND RELEASE MECHANISM FOR HOISTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,087, datedSeptember 13, 1904.

Application filed September 11, 1902. $eria1 No. 122,941. (No model.)

To (1, whom (it may concern:

- Be it known that I, CHARLES DE MooonBLE, a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, residing in Paris, France, have invented a new and usefulAutomatic Check and Release Mechanism for Hoisting Apparatus, (thisinvention having been patented in France, No. 319,307, March 5, 1902,and in Great Britain, No. 18,761, August 26, 1902,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention consists in an automatic brake mechanism that can beoperated from a distance with all possible precision, permitting, whenrequirechthe effecting of the descent partly or wholly with certainspeed in such manner as to lessen the time of action, yet completing itwith the required precision, owing to the right and left movement underthe action of the moving force. Moreover,the brake givesno resistance tothe ascent, yet being always and immediately engaged when the movingforce ceases. It realizes, in fact, the last conditions. The pressure ofthe brake instead of being produced by a counterweight, causing aforceindependent of theload, is, on the contrary, proportional to the load.To this end the gearing of the winding-drum is suitably connected withcontrolling mechanism for the brake-shoes in such manner that the actionof the load is transmitted by the intermediary of said mechanism uponthe brakeshoes and causes the latter to be applied against thebrake-drumwith a force which is therefore proportional to the amount ofthe load. On the other hand, it allows of the load being made to descendby the moving force remaining still under pressure, and this withoutrequiring more work in the descent than in the ascent. The saidmechanism is so con structed as to check with great precision themovement in raising and lowering by producing a certain amount ofbrake-friction, which may be adjusted nicely to the weight of the load,so that the latter may be brought quickly and accurately to the exactpoint required.

The invention maybe constructed in various way; but in order toillustrate the principles thereof I have shown in the necessarydrawings, below described, two forms of the mechanism suitable fordifferent constructions.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical medial section of one form ofthe mechanism shown as connected with the motor-shaft of the hoistingapparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 1.Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 1 of another form of the apparatusof the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 2 of Fig.3. Figs. 5, 6, 7 are fragmentary sections, on an enlarged scale, of thecentral portion of Fig. 2, with the body of the pinion b omitted,showing the parts in the position of hoisting, releasing, and lowering,respectively. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a complete hoistingapparatus having my device attached thereto constructed as in Fig. 1.

I will first refer to Fig. 8 in order to show how the apparatus ismounted. In this figure 9 designates a base or frame having mountedthereon an electric motor 10, the shaft Z whereof is journaled inpedestals 11 12. Above the pedestals 12 are arched-shaped pedestals 1314:, which carry journaled therein the shaft j of a winding-drum 15. Onthe ends of the two shafts 'j' and Z are mounted, respectively, aspur-gear Zr and a spur-pinion (Z, meshing therewith. This apparatusforms no part of my invention, but is merely given by way ofillustration of a typical hoisting mechanism; but while in the ordinaryapparatus the pinion (Z is secured first to the shaft Zand driventhereby in my apparatus it is loosely mounted on the shaft Z and onlydriven through the intermediary of the mechanism 16 comprising myinvention. The check and release mechanism 16 is mounted between thepedestal-12 and an outboard bearing pedestal 17, rising from thebase-plate 9. The motorshaft Z may be extended through the mechanism 16and supported in the pedestal 17, if desired; but I prefer to mount thelatter in most cases on an independent coaxial shaft Z, which turns inthe bearing of the pedestal 17.

The mechanism comprises, first, a brakedrum or pulley a, mounted to turnloosely on the shaft Z and having an outer and an inner brake-surface;secondly, a brake-strap a, surrounding the drum n and attached at oneend to a pin 18, mounted in bearing-lugs 19, on which pin is alsopivoted a weight-lever e, carrying a weight 20 and having a cross-pin21, around which is looped the other end of the strap a, (see Fig. 2;)thirdly, a beam 0,. centrally bored and mounted on the shaft Z and keyedthereto, and automatic brake apparatus carried thereby, and, fourthly, asmall pinion Z, either mounted separately on the shaft l or, as shown,formed integrally with the pinion a and operating in connection with theautomatic brake mechanism carried by the beam 0.

The brake mechanism carried by the beam 0 comprises a pair ofgear-segments e and 0, having hubs 22 journaled in the ends of the beam0, these gear-segments meshingwith the teeth of the pinion Z, and a pairof brakeshoes d and p, which are pivoted on pins 9" and s, seteccentrically in the hubs 22 of the gearsegments e and o. The points gare the centers or axes of rotation of the gear-segments e and o, andtherefore of the pins 1" and s. It will be seen, therefore, by rotationof the pinion Z in one direction with respect to the beams o the shoes dand p will be withdrawn from the inner circumference of the drum n, andwhen rotated in the other direction the shoes will be pressed againstthe brake-drum, these directions being, as shown in the drawing in Fig.2, clockwise, respectively. The gear-segments e and o are preferablyprovided with stop-lugs in, engaging with bosses on the shoes d and j.

On the extreme end of the shaft l, which projects beyond the pinion Z,are formed or keyed a pair of oppositely-radial lugs f. (See Figs. 5, 6,and 7 With these lugs and engaged thereby are a pair of similar lugs iand h, projecting laterally from the pinion Z, and another pair ofsimilar lugs g, projectinglaterally from the hub of the beam 0.

The apparatus as thus described operates as follows, supposing thehoisting to take place in the clockwise direction, as viewed in thetransverse section, Figs. 2, 5, 6,'and 7 First ease-Lifting apparatusallowing descent of the load uncle 1' Z ra/ee and speed with sup pleinentapp control forp reoiszon.

1. .lfoisting, (see Fig. 5. )--During the hoisting movement themotor-axle l turns in such a direction that the key f tends to make thepinion Z act upon the sectors e and o in the proper direction forreleasing the brakeshoes d and p from the brake-drum n. As shown in thedrawings, this rotation takes place in the direction of the arrow 00.Under these conditions the key f strikes the stops h and i of the pinionZ and carries the latter immediate and complete release of the brakeblocks. To prevent the brake-blocks d p as they revolve from beingcaused by centrifugal force to bear against the pulley, l have providedthe stops 1n, which limit the extent of their oscillation.

2. Stop, (see Fig. 6.)VVhen the motor stops, the load acting on thegearing tends to make them turn in the opposite direction, and then thepinion Z, acted on by the key f, moves the two segments d p, which owingto the eccentric action press the brake-blocks d p against the interiorof the pulley n, which is held stationary by the loaded brake-band. Evenallowing for wear of the brake-blocks, the movement of the pinion Z willnever exceed twenty-five millimeters, which implies a movement of theload absolutely negligible, so that it may be said that the stoppagetakes place at the moment when the load tends to descend. Again, asthere is no braking until the load tends to descend there is no velocityof any of the parts, and consequently no shock due to dynamical effectsare to be apprehended. In this case the load controls the brake,applying it in proportion to its tangential stress on the pinion a,which is an especially fortunate advantage of this system.

3. Descent, (see Fig. 7 )fVV hen the descent is to be effected, it issufficient, as in working an automatic loaded hand-brake, to raise thebrake-weight 20. The brake resistance on the exterior circumference ofthe pulley n becoming less than the tangential stress of thebrake-blocks on the interior, the whole of the gear can put itself inmotion under the action of the load, the speed of which can be regulatedas desired by acting with more or less force on the brake-weight 20.

Second oase.-T he action should at first Ze at speed allowing the loadto recoil. T he load is to he Zronght emactlg to a p redetenmined leoel.T he ascent and the stoppage ape efieeted antler the same conditions.The only (life Pence is in the descending monement.

that due to the load should be slightly greater than the friction of theblocks on the pulley.

In this manner the load, being always under the immediate and continuousaction of the brake, will descend as slowly as desired, its speed beingthen absolutely dependent on that of the moving force.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 3 and 4 represents, as I have said, amodification of antomatic brake allowing right and left movement andcapable of being controlled from a distance by the motor. This is thecase, for instance, in drawbridges having three motions in which, if thebrake is to be controlled from a distance, the raising of the brake-Weight (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) presents certain difficulties and mayincur certain dangers in case of an action at the wrong time. In orderto meet these special conditions, I have aimed to render the action ofthe brake absolutely dependent on the motor, which thus automaticallyregulates the speed of descent, while still leaving the load under theimmediate action of the brake. The general conditions to be realized aretherefore the same as in the first two cases, with the difference,nevertheless, that the brake is always controlled by the motor in thedescent as well as in the ascent. In this form the motor-shaft Z, thelugs f, pinions a and b, the shaft y, gear-wheel it, and the other partsnot forming a part of the invention may be the same as before; but inthis case the rotatable drum n is replaced by a fixed drum 12, mountedon the standard 17, which takes the place of the pedestal 17 and has acentral bearing 23, in which is journaled the stub-shaft y, which iscoaxial with the motor-shaft Z and has the beam 0 keyed thereon, whichlatter carries segments 6 and 0 and the shoes d and p, arranged the sameas in Figs. 1 and 2. In this case I may provide gear-casing .2, adaptedto inclose the gears of the hoisting apparatus, and automatic check andrelease. mechanism to prevent the entrance of moisture.

I need not here repeat the previous description, as the same phenomenapresent themselves under the same conditions.

It is to be observed that the lever c has been said in the specificationof the two forms of my invention before described to be keyed on theshaft Z or yin line with the shaft Z, but independent of it, so as toavoid the difficulty of adjusting several bearings in line.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of myinvention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form orposition without affecting the operativeness or.

utility of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make allsuch modifications as are included within the scope of the followingclaims or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. An automatic check and release mechanism comprising a rotatingdriving element, a coaxially -rotating driven element freely mountedwith respect to said driving element,

a third coaXially-mounted element, interlocking lugscarried' by allthree elements, a brake -drum, brake-shoes carried by the extremities ofsaid third element and adapted to be pressed against said brake drum,and means connecting said brake-shoes with said driven element foroperating said shoes to withdraw them from the periphery of thebrake-drum on the advance movement of said driven element, in which caseit is driven directly by said driving element, and to force thebrake-shoes against the peripheries of said brake-drum with a forceproportional to the load when the driven element ceases to be actuatedby said driving element.

2. An automatic check and release mechanism comprising a rotatabledriving element, a coaxially -mounted driven element loose with respectto the latter, a third coaxiallymounted element, interlocking lugscarried by all three elements, a gear-pinion carried by said drivenelement, a pair of gear-segments journaled in the ends of said thirdelement and meshing with said pinion, a pair of brake-shoeseccentrically mounted on said gear-segments, and a drum against whichsaid brake-shoes are adapted to be pressed.

3. An automatic check and release mechanism comprising a rotatingdriving-shaft, a driven element loosely mounted thereon, a beam mountedto rotate coaXially with said shaft, a gear -pinion carried by saiddriven element, a pair of gear-segments journaled in the ends of saidbeam and meshing with said pinion, a pair of brake-shoes eccentricallyjournaled on the respective gear-segments, interlocking radial lugs .onthe shaft, the driven element,and the beam respectively, and a drumhaving an internal periphery against which said brake-shoes are adaptedto be pressed.

4. An automatic check and release mechanism comprising a rotatingdriving-shaft, a

driven element loosely mounted thereon, a beam mounted to rotatecoaXially with said shaft, a gear-pinion carried by said driven element,a pair of gear-segments journaled in the ends of said beam and meshingwith said pinion, a pair of brake-shoes eccentricall y journaled on therespective gear-segments, interlocking radial lugs on the shaft, thedriven element and the beam respectively, a rotatable brake-drum havingan inner periphery against which said brake-shoes are adapt-

